Realisations and Revalations
by horseg27
Summary: Collection of one shots. Ch1 'Just a friend' Where Plagg gets a kick out of this 'she's just a friend' business. Ch2 'Black Cats do Purr' Where Ladybug teases her partner about a certain aspect of his powers. Ch6 'It's All Fun and Statues Until Somebody Gets Spotted' Puppeteer 2 what if.
1. Just a Friend

I've seen a few fics based off the Dark Owl episode and wanted to do something for it too. Couldn't resist a devious Plagg.

* * *

 **Just a Friend**

Summary: Where Plagg gets a kick out of this 'she's just a friend' business and causes some trouble between the duo.

* * *

Perched on top of the computer screen, Plagg watched his chosen do homework. It had been a few days since the incident with Dark Owl and the near loss of his miraculous. The boy had been taking the whole thing quite well. Adrien constantly praised his partner's quick thinking and went on and on about how their hands had actually touched. ' _I felt her real hands, Plagg!'_ etc.

What impressed him most was how he completely respected Ladybug's wishes in keeping their identities secret. His chosen had had ample time to peak and find out who she was, but he didn't. He hadn't even asked once for a hint about who she was.

Yet, therein lay the problem. Plagg was bursting with the news. To find out that Ladybug was the sweet stuttering girl that sat behind them, the one who had a crush on the most oblivious boy in Paris, it was maddening! What was a kwami to do? He couldn't outright tell Adrien who his partner was. Tikki would kill him.

The small cat's eyes narrowed as his smirk grew. But perhaps there was still _something_ he could do. He wasn't the kwami of chaos and destruction for nothing.

"Plagg, what's that grin for?" Adrien asked warily. If his kwami looked that happy and there was no cheese involved, it was time to worry.

Plagg didn't even bother to wipe the smirk off his face as he lay back, hands behind his head. "Just thinking about a friend."

The blond quirked an eyebrow. "You have friends?"

His kwami huffed, taking offense. "Of course I have friends! I'll have you know I've had plenty of friends across the millennia."

"And how many of them weren't cheese?" Adrien shot back.

"I'll have you know cheese makes the best kind of friend. It doesn't judge me, unlike some ungrateful teens!" With another huff, Plagg zipped off to his comfortable spot in the wastepaper basket. Settling down, he resumed his smirk and began his planning.

* * *

It wasn't long before there was another akuma attack, forcing Adrien to find a place to hide so he could transform.

"Plagg," the boy called, opening his jacket. "Hurry up, we need to go help Ladybug."

The cat kwami lazily flew out of his holder's jacket, a smirk on his face. Time to put the start of his plan into action. "Time to go meet your friend."

Adrien looked at him in confusion, not at all understanding his kwami's choice in words. Usually he complained about being woken from a nap or not having enough cheese. This? This was just weird.

"Uh, yeah we're going to go meet Ladybug."

"Your friend."

" _Riiiight_ ," Adrien drawled, still watching the kwami warily. The boy shook his head with a grunt. "We don't have time for whatever this is. Plagg, claws out!"

The black cat kwami smirked as he was sucked into the ring. "Just a friend."

* * *

Adrien was rewatching one of the akuma battles on the Ladyblog. The boy rested his head on his hands as he let out a sickeningly dreamy sigh. "She's amazing, Plagg."

The kwami, who'd been sitting on the couch enjoying his camembert, lay back with a soft groan. After a click, his lips curled up in a grin. He flew over to his chosen, hovering by his shoulder. "Eh," he grunted. "She's just a friend."

"Plagg! How can you say that? Ladybug is more than just a friend!"

"Fine," he huffed, folding his arms. "She's a _good_ friend."

"Plaaagg!" the boy whined, running his hands through his hair.

The kwami flew away cackling. This was too much fun.

* * *

Cat Noir leapt through the window, releasing his transformation as he landed. Plagg zipped out of his ring to land on the couch.

"Cheeeeese," the black kwami whined, flopping back like he was on the brink of death.

Adrien rolled his eyes and went to fetch a wheel of camembert. Tossing it beside Plagg, he plopped into his computer chair and immediately looked up the Ladyblog for the latest updates.

Plagg sprang upon the cheese and happily started eating away. Halfway through, he heard a lovesick sigh. The small being gagged in disgust. Stupid humans obsessed with their stupid love lives when they could be enjoying the wonder that is cheese. A wolfish grin slipped onto his face. If his chosen was going to be like that, he might as well have some fun with it.

Swallowing the rest of the cheese whole, he floated over to land on Adrien's head. Settling himself in the blond hair, Plagg made a show of yawning loudly. "Are you mooning over your friend again?"

Adrien huffed, sending a glare at Plagg's reflection on the computer screen. The bothersome kwami had been spouting off these odd 'friend' comments for the past two weeks now and he was starting to believe he was doing it just to get a rise out of the teen. Unfortunately it worked all too well.

"I'm not mooning over her. I _love_ her! And someday I'm going to tell her."

"She's nothing more than a friend."

"Are you denying my feelings for Ladybug?"

"Hmm…" he tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment as if he were pondering this. Then a catty smirk played across his face. "Yep"

"Plagg!" Adrien grabbed for his kwami.

Plagg, however, cackled as he spiralled out from his chosen's reach.

* * *

"Plagg, cl-"

The kwami yawned loudly. "Are we going to see your friend again?"

* * *

The blond sighed as Ladybug swung off. "Isn't she amazing?"

"She's just a friend."

* * *

Hidden in an alcove Adrien opened his mouth but Plagg spoke before him.

"Guess we'd better go help your friend."

* * *

Plagg swam backstroke through the air as his chosen browsed the Ladyblog. "Just a friend."

* * *

Weeks rolled by as Plagg kept up his insistent 'just a friend comments.' Adrien had taken to bottling up his feelings for Ladybug, tired of his kwami's ridiculous choice of words every single time he mentioned his miraculous partner.

Stepping out of the car, he thanked his driver and trotted up the steps to school. He couldn't see his friends, but that was alright, they'd be there shortly. However, upon entering the schoolyard, he did spot a familiar dark haired girl. She sat by the wall, tongue sticking out a little, as she focused on a sketchbook in her lap

"What are you waiting for?" asked Plagg, his head poking out of Adrien's shirt pocket. "Why don't you go say hi to your girlfriend?"

"Plagg," he hissed, "Marinette is not my girlfriend. She's just a-"

The blond cut off. His eyes widened as he stared at his classmate. He gasped. It couldn't be. He had to be wrong. There was no way. She couldn't…

Plagg smirked as he watched his chosen's face. The shock turned to realisation, which turned to amazement, which turned to horror. He cackled quietly.

Adrien didn't even register the sound. He couldn't comprehend just what was happening. His Ladybug, the love of his life, the girl he'd professed to love even without the mask, had been so close this whole time. Could it really have been so simple? Was he really that big of an idiot?

The hair. The eyes. The missing class. The stubborn attitude. The kindness. Her ability to lead. Knowing all the names of the classmates. How she always arrived so quickly.

It all made sense.

And Plagg. Plagg had _known_ this. This was the reason for his crazy friend comments. _This_ was why!

Oh boy. He really _was_ that big if an idiot. He wished the ground would swallow him up, drop him into the deepest pit, and bury him where he would never be found. Then, _maybe_ he would feel the _tiniest_ bit less stupid for being so oblivious.

Suddenly, the bluenette's head shot up and their eyes locked. A soft pink dusted her cheeks but she smiled shyly and gave him a welcoming wave.

A deep blush rose up on his own face. He grinned awkwardly, hand robotically waving back and forth. Gosh, why did he have to be so dense. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have _seen_ this already?

A snigger came from inside his jacket pocket. He wanted to hiss at Plagg to shut up, but he didn't want to look like even more of an idiot. Marinette's smile had already faded into a curious worry, concerned about his odd behaviour. Her care caused his heart to thump even more loudly in his chest.

Fortunately, there came a distraction. Unfortunately, it came in the form of an akuma attack. Instantly Marinette was on her feet. She bit her lip, glancing between him and the direction of the screams. Seeing that she was torn in her concern for him verses her duty as Ladybug, Adrien made her decision for her.

He ran.

* * *

"Hey, Mar- my lady! Ladybug, LB, Bugaboo, um…" he grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Cat Noir?"

"Yeah, fine!" he nodded vigorously and dropped into a ramble, "Why wouldn't I be? I mean, you're here and you're you and I'm me and yeah."

" _Right_ ," she said, turning back to the villian. "Whatever's bothering you will have to wait. We have an akuma to take down."

She swung off, leaving him standing alone atop the building. Watching her go, Cat Noir sighed, his fake ears flopping against his hair. How was he supposed to carry on like usual know that he knew his lady was his sweet classmate?

With a huff, he took out his staff and leapt after her.

* * *

The fight took twice as long as usual. It wasn't that the akuma was particularly strong, or even smart. It was all because Adrien couldn't get his head in the game. He couldn't stop thinking about how Ladybug was Marinette. The same girl who sat behind him in class, who stuttered and blushed around him (though he still couldn't quite figure that out) and who he couldn't bare to see harmed in any way.

He really felt like the embodiment of bad luck. He'd screwed up his first cataclysm, wasting it when he fumbled over his own feet. Then he's ruined Ladybug's use of her lucky charm. Their powers used up, they were both forced to go off and recharge. If Adrien wasn't so concerned about getting back into the fight, he might have been more surprised by Plagg's silence.

The black kwami's knew he was the cause of his chosen's distraction. And, while the whole thing had been hilarious before, now it was only causing trouble. It was his fault Adrien couldn't focus and it could lead them into trouble. As much as he appeared indifferent towards the boy, he was actually rather fond of Adrien. He really didn't want to lose him because boy couldn't keep hold of his miraculous.

Swallowing the last of his cheese, Plagg loudly cleared his throat.

Adrien drew his gaze away from where he'd been keeping an eye out for the akuma. "Ready?"

Plagg nodded, folding his arms. "And for once could you put your feelings aside? We've got a job to do. You can't help her if you don't pay attention."

"Right," Adrien nodded firmly with renewed determination. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Eventually they did defeat the akuma, and after their customary pound it on a rooftop, they prepared to split up.

"Wait!" Cat Noir grabbed her arm before she could go.

She paused and turned to him, still slightly annoyed with the length of their battle. "What is it, Cat? I don't have time."

He let her go and ducked his head. Wringing his hands, he shuffled nervously. "I'm sorry for causing such trouble today. You really shouldn't have had to put up with that. It was my fault entirely and for that, I apologise."

A little surprised by his apology, Ladybug stared at him for a moment, startled out of her shock by a beep from her miraculous. "Hey, mistakes happen." She smiled softly and stepped closer to catch his downcast gaze. "You're having a bad day. I get it. Trust me, I know all about bad days. Try not to worry about it, we'll do better next time."

She started to move off again, when he called out with another, "Wait!"

His ring beeped. Cat Noir bit his lip, his tail absently curling itself around his leg. "There's something else. I- well, you see- M-my kwami- he- I- ugh…" He ran his hands through his hair, "Why are words so hard?"

"Is there any chance we could talk about this later?" Ladybug asked as her earings dropped down to one spot.

"Please, my lady, I have to tell you now or this is going to eat me up during class." The blond began pacing back and forth on the rooftop.

"Cat!" she snapped, pulling out her yoyo. "We'll talk about this later."

He whirled around, "But- Ah!" The black clad hero yelped as he tripped over his own tail and fell over the side of the roof.

"Cat!"

Just when Cat Noir thought he was going to hit the ground head first, he jerked to a sudden stop. Ladybug had caught him with her yoyo. Satisfied he wasn't going to hurt himself with the fall, she let him go, dumping him unceremoniously on his head and jumping down next to him in the alley.

"Silly, kitty," she grinned.

He gave her a lopsided smile as he sat up. "Thank you, my lady."

"I have to go. Take care, Cat Noir," she said, heading further into the alley to hide.

His face fell and he yelled, "But that's just it, Marinette! You don't have to leave!"

Ladybug froze, wide blue eyes locked on him. Then, in a flash of pink, her transformation dropped, leaving behind his wide eyed classmate. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to say something.

Cat Noir dropped his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to find out. I know how much the whole secret identity thing meant to you. It wasn't supposed to happen like this…"

Finally finding her voice, she said one word, "How?"

He looked up at her sheepishly, slowly rising to his feet. "My kwami. He didn't say anything specific like tell me who you are or anything. He just…" His ring rang out, warning him of one minute left. Clenching his fist, he took a breath. "Whenever I spoke about you, my lady, he kept repeating the same phrase."

"What was it?" she asked, not having moved any closer, but at least not having run away, despite the fear he saw in the edges of her eyes.

"He kept saying, 'She's just a friend.'"

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, silently questioning him.

Taking a step towards her, he rubbed the back of his neck. "You see, I kept saying that about a friend of mine, not realising of course, how amazing," he took another step with each word, her gaze focused in him, "and talented, and clever, and all around brilliant she was." He stepped closer still so that they now stood so close she had to tilt her head up to look at him.

"I finally figured out what he was saying today. And I must have been blind to not have seen that my special lady sat behind me everyday."

Confusion and shock flicked through her eyes before they widened in realisation and his name passed unbidden through her lips. "Adrien?"

He smiled and his own transformation fell away. "Um, yeah. Heh, who would have thought, right?"

"A- Adrien?" she repeated.

"Yes?" his smile wavered.

" _Adrien_ ," she sweaked.

"Yes, I think we've established that," grumbled another voice.

" _Plagg_!" scolded another, as a red blob with spots flew into view. "Why couldn't you leave well enough alone?"

"What?" his kwami groaned, perching himself on Adrien's shoulder, knowing that the close proximity to his chosen might spare him some of Tikki's wrath. "You're telling me you actually enjoy watching them dancing around each other?"

Tikki shot him a glare, "Well, no," she huffed. "But we're not supposed to intervene like _this_. They were supposed to reveal themselves when they were ready."

"But that could have taken _forever_ ," whined Plagg. "You don't know how frustrating he is."

The red kwami let out a groan, ignoring the two heroes as the glanced between the pair. "You're _thousands_ of years old. A few more years wouldn't have killed you!"

"But _Tikkiiiii_!" he whined.

"Plagg," Adrien hissed. "Stop being so rude."

The black kwami folded his arms with a grumpy huff.

"Wait, Plagg? What do you mean 'dancing around each other'? I know I-" his gaze locked onto Marinette as she ducked her head, trying to hide a deep blush forming across her cheeks. "Marinette?"

She squeaked out something he couldn't understand.

Swallowing, Adrien licked his lips. "Marinette, do you- do you like me?"

The girl shifted her weight nervously before nodding.

His heartbeat quickened. He grabbed her hands in his own and she looked up at him. "You actually like me, like me?" he asked hopefully.

She gave him a teary smile. "Yes, silly, kitty. I've been in love with you ever since you gave me your umbrella after your first day of school."

A smug grin spread across his face. "I guess that means I won."

Her smile faded. "Won what?"

Adrien leaned a little closer. "I feel in love with you first. So that means I won."

Marinette's face flushed red again. "I- you- how-"

The blond chuckled. "Before we defeated Stoneheart the second time, you remember how scared you were?" She nodded and he continued, "Well, after you picked yourself up and spoke to Hawk Moth the way you did, I knew I'd fallen for that girl. The one who was wasn't sure of herself and yet found the courage to fight back anyway."

"Really?" she asked shyly.

"Really," he grinned.

"So are you gonna kiss her or what? 'Cause I'd like to go home and have some cheese now."

"Plagg!" scolded Tikki. Grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away.

"Ow! But Tikki! I need my _cheese_!"

They heard her grumble at him some more as they moved away to give the couple their privacy. Marinette chuckled as she watched them go.

"I'm sorry about him, my lady. He's… Well, he's _Plagg_."

She giggled, turning back to the blond. "Is he why your room smells funny?"

Adrien groaned, earning another giggle from Marinette. "He hides it _everywhere_. Even my _bed_. If I didn't need him, I think I'd kill him."

She gave his hands a squeeze. "I'm sure he's not all bad."

He rolled his eyes. "You clearly don't know him."

Giggling again, she grinned and, reaching up on her toes, gave his nose a quick kiss.

Adrien blinked at her before breaking out in a grin. Letting some Cat Noir confidence through, he said, "Bugaboo, I've been waiting so long for a kiss, don't you think I deserve a proper one?"

She shrunk away, tinged in pink, making him quickly back down.

"I mean, uh, you don't have to, if you don't want to. I just thought that maybe…"

Suddenly he felt her lips against his. He didn't move for a moment, too surprised to do anything, but slowly he found himself kissing back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"About time!" yelled a small voice, the pair breaking apart with matching blushes.

"Plagg!" chided Tikki.

"What?" he said innocently. "They're just _friends_."


	2. Black Cats do Purr

A quick short this time, not so much a reveal as a 'realisation'. Realisations will most likely be shorter than reveal fics and probably be more on the side of show related stuff. This one was just for some sweet LadyNoir fluff.  
Don't worry though, there are indeed some more reveals on the way!

* * *

 **Black Cats do Purr**

Summary: Ladybug confronts Cat Noir about something that happened on the train...

* * *

Ladybug and Cat Noir sat up on their usual spot on the Eiffel Tower far above the city, looking down at the beautiful glow that only came with the evening light. They had defeated Prime Queen a few days ago, an akuma that wanted them to admit they had a romantic relationship with one another on live TV, despite nothing at all going on between them.

Swinging her legs over the ledge they sat on, Ladybug turned to her partner, "So Cat Noir. On the train the other night, did you-"

"No," he answered too quickly, his tail suddenly flicking nervously as it dangled beside him.

"You didn't even let me-"

"Nope, wasn't me."

"Are you sure? I mean when she suddenly stopped the train and I-"

"Nope!" he denied again.

Ladybug frowned, hands on her hips. "Cat, stop dodging the question. Did you, or did you not purr while we were on that train?"

"Well, um," he avoided her gaze, twiddling his thumbs in his lap.

"Kitty," she firmly prompted, fully prepared to toss him off the ledge if he avoided the question again.

Gulping, Cat Noir threw out his arms, "Alright, alright! It was me! I purred!" He ran his hands through his hair before letting them drop back into his lap, his voice soft, "I didn't even know I could do that…"

Ladybug giggled, flicking his bell. "I thought so."

"Please don't tell me you're going to tease me about it now. I already got enough from my kwami and I'm pretty sure he _knew_ I could do that."

"I don't know, Kitty. It was pretty funny."

He pouted. "You're just lucky ladybugs don't do anything. They just get to be small and cute."

She giggled again. "Luck is my middle name."

This time he smirked. "Ladybug Luck, now what comes after that."

"Nuh-uh, Kitty. No fishing for identities. You know the rules."

"But, my Lady," he protested, "Cats like fishing. Some of us are quite good at it."

With a roll of her eyes, she pushed him back with a finger to the nose. "I thought cats hate water."

"Not all. Some of us love it. Tigers, for instance, love to go swimming."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "And here I thought you were an ordinary street cat."

He clasped his hands over his heart dramatically, "You wound me, my Lady."

Ladybug laughed, ruffling his hair. "You're a silly kitty."

"But I'm _your_ silly kitty."

"Hmm, sometimes," she slowly pulled away, resting her hands either side of her to grip the ledge they were sitting on. "Do you think you could do it again?"

Cat Noir tilted his head as he looked at her. "Do what?"

"Purr."

"I- I don't know," he turned back to the view, shuffling nervously.

While he wasn't looking, Ladybug snaked a hand up and began scratching behind his fake ear. The black hero stiffened at first, not sure what to do about this new development before his cat instincts took over and he melted under her touch. He leant towards her fingers, a low rumble reverberating through his chest.

The red superheroine couldn't keep the smile off her face, hiding it behind her free hand and holding back her giggles. His cat eyes were half closed, his blissful smile betraying how much he enjoyed the scratching.

Unable to resist, she cooed teasingly, "Who's a good kitty?"

His smile only widened and he leaned into her touch. "That feels, _so_ good…"

"You're a good kitty," Ladybug giggled.

Slowly she withdrew her hand, Cat Noir blinking as he came out of it, a pout forming a he realised that she'd stopped.

She giggled again. "Are there any other cat tendencies I should know about? You're not going to go chasing down laser pointers in the middle of an akuma battle, are you?"

"My Lady, I'll have you know, I only have eyes for you."

Her breath caught in her throat as he looked at her with his piercing green eyes and complete reverence in his voice. It was a seriousness she rarely saw from her partner, the very thought making her heart flutter. With pink dusting her cheeks, she turned away to clear her throat. "Um, right. Well, as long as you don't get distracted during a fight then."

A moment of awkward silence passed, neither quite knowing how to fill the void.

Clearing her throat again, Ladybug stood. "I'd better get going."

"My Lady," he called, making her pause. "You're not going to tell anyone about the purring, right?"

A devious smirk made its way onto her lips. "I suppose I can refrain from letting the Ladyblog know about this." Just as he relaxed, she added, "Only if you can keep from punning for a whole fight."

"What!"

She laughed, jumping off into the night.

"But my Lady!" he yelled after her. " _Ladybug_!"

She giggled to herself. She had no intention of telling Alya about Cat Noir's newfound ability.

But _he_ didn't need to know that.


	3. Under the Moonlight

Another cute reveal here. Admittedly this one isn't my favourite (that should be coming soon), but it has some adorable moments that I hope you might enjoy. :)

* * *

 **Under the Moonlight**

Summary: Cat Noir invites Ladybug to a friendly night out on the rooftops of Paris, by which she surprises herself when she says yes. Then he does it again, and they both get a little more than they expected.

* * *

"Pound it!"

Ladybug pulled back with a grin and prepared to leave. "See you next time, Kitty."

"Wait, my Lady," called Cat Noir, halting her steps.

A look of concern crossed her face. "Is everything alright?"

He smiled, "Only my heart when you're around." The grin slipped off his face as he became a bit more bashful and rubbed the back of his neck. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I was hoping you would agree to meet me tonight. Perhaps around nine?"

She sighed, "Cat, I-"

"Please, my Lady. It's not a date." A roguish grin pulled at his lips and he wiggled his eyebrows. "Unless you want it to be."

At her unamused expression, he dropped back to a simple, if a little shy, smile. "I would appreciate your company tonight."

Her brain screamed at her to decline. To gently turn him down. To say anything but yes. Yet something else crossed her lips as they moved without her command. "Okay."

The bright smile that lit up his face made her heart flutter. He leaned forward in a sweeping bow. "I'll see you then, my Lady."

"Um, heh, yeah," she said as he left, feeling more than a little confused.

Dropping through the trapdoor onto her bed back at home, Ladybug de-transformed. Collapsing, she stared up at the ceiling with a look of bewilderment.

Her kwami hovered near her head. "Marinette?"

It took a few seconds for the girl to speak, finally releasing the thought that had been playing on repeat since she'd said goodbye to her partner. "When did I fall for Cat Noir?"

Just out of her view, Tikki smiled knowingly. Flying off to find a cookie, she let her chosen stew over this new revelation. Marinette had a lot to think about before her date.

….

Landing on their rooftop meeting place, Ladybug glanced around.

"You're late, my Lady," Cat Noir said, startling her as he stepped out from behind a chimney.

"Um, yeah! Sorry about that. I got caught up doing my homework," she lied. She didn't dare tell him the real reason behind her lateness. That rather than homework, she had gotten caught up in her feelings about two blond boys. "Were you waiting long?"

He grinned. "Not long, my Lady." He held out his hand, green eyes dancing in delight. "I have a little surprise."

She eyed him skeptically. "What kind of surprise?"

"Only the best kind for you."

Taking his hand, Ladybug allowed herself to be led across the rooftops. They neared the river and Cat Noir soon slowed to round a chimney.

Ladybug gasped. It was beautiful. Her heart swelled with emotion as she took it all in.

A blanket had been set up on the roof overlooking the Seine. Around it sat candles glowing softly in the moonlight. Moving closer she noticed that they weren't real candles, but rather those fake battery operated one.

"I didn't want to risk burning down all of Paris," Cat Noir grinned sheepishly.

Ladybug giggled. "Smart thinking, Kitty."

"My Lady," he grinned, gesturing to the blanket.

Smirking, she took a seat. "I thought you said this wasn't a date."

"It's not," he replied, sitting beside her. "But I saw no reason why we couldn't be comfortable." He pulled out a box. "I brought some dessert too. Couldn't invite Bugaboo out without bringing her something sweet."

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "Cat, that wasn't really necessary." Her gaze fell on the box in his lap and she stifled a gasp. She knew that design anywhere. It was the logo of her parents' bakery.

Cat Noir opened the box, not having noticed her shock, and held it up for her. "There's chocolate, strawberry, rose tea, cream, and pistachio," he said, pointing a claw at each flavour.

The smile fell from his face as he noticed her staring at the macarons. "Don't tell me you don't like them. You don't have to eat them if you don't want to."

"Oh! No! No, it's not that," she rushed to cover her shock and quickly grabbed a pink macaron with white speckles. "These are great. More than great! I love macarons."

He grinned, taking a chocolate one for himself and biting into it. "Then you'll absolutely love these. They're from the best bakery in Paris."

Ladybug nibbled on her maracron, probably one of the ones she'd made earlier that day.

Finishing his in another bite, Cat Noir glanced at her, noticing her faraway look. "Is something wrong? I can get something else next time, if you'd like."

"No, these are great," she forced a smile and made a show of shoving the rest of the macaron in her mouth and grabbing another. "I was just wondering…"

"Why we don't do this more often?" he wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, a genuine smile rising on her lips this time. "No, silly Kitty. I was wondering how often you visit this so called 'best bakery in Paris.'" Secretly wondering how well she might know him in her regular life.

Biting into another macaron, he said, "Well, not as often as I'd like, considering my strict diet."

"You? A strict diet?" she playfully scoffed.

"My Lady," he spoke with mock seriousness, "this fine physique doesn't appear by itself."

She giggle-snorted, covering her mouth with her free hand.

Cat Noir's grin widened, making him look more like an excited puppy than a kitten.

"So, I guess your parents are health freaks?"

"Not exactly. It's… well, let's just say my job requires it."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You have a job? How old _are_ you?"

"Not that old, I assure you. It's ah, I- it's the family business. I don't get much of a choice in it." He rubbed the back of his neck, green eyes downcast. "I'm just trying to keep my father happy."

Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Ladybug rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he's proud of you no matter what."

He glanced at her, seeing the love and sincerity in her sweet bluebell eyes. She looked so hopeful. But she didn't know his father. Looking away, he sighed, "I don't think so. Sometimes I wonder if he even cares about me beyond the image of his perfect son."

"I'm sure that's not true," she protested.

"Considering he barely gives me the time of day, I'd say it's pretty true. He constantly brushes off dinner with me and last year he basically cancelled Christmas until my friends came through."

"What about your mother?" she asked softly. "I'm sure she cares about you."

"Yeah. She does. Or did. She disappeared a while ago. We don't know what happened to her…"

"Oh Kitty," she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry." She didn't realise how difficult his home life was. Suddenly his boisterous, overly-confident, recklessness as Cat Noir made much more sense. He was a boy trapped by hardship, who had been given an escape from his life of loneliness.

Hugging her back, he murmured, "It's not your fault, Bugaboo. And I'm the one who's sorry. I invited you out for a good time and here I am depressing you with my personal life."

"That's alright, Kitty. I don't mind. Plus, it sounds like you could really use a friend right now." Ladybug pulled back to smile at him her hands still resting on his shoulders. "You know I've always got your back, no matter what, in the same way I always trust you've got mine."

The tears that sprang up in Cat Noir's eyes made her wonder just how lonely his personal life was. Suddenly his crazy carefree attitude made sense. His mask served as an outlet, a way to express himself. Her heart went out to her poor kitten.

"Thanks, Ladybug. I can always rely on you to fix everything," he smiled through watery eyes. "With or without magic, you're amazing, my Lady."

She ducked her head to hide the sudden blush and wrapped her arms around herself. No longer looking at Cat, she missed the way his ears drooped at the loss of her touch. "Th- thanks."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No! No, of course not. It was just… unexpected." She felt a small flutter in her chest. She wasn't quite sure what to do with her newfound feelings for her partner. When they were just being their usual selves, it was easier to push them aside and pretend they weren't there. After all, she still loved Adrien. She wasn't ready to let the wonderful handsome blond got just yet.

And then _he_ had to go say things like _that._ Something else stirred within her at his words. Something… familiar? Actually, now that she thought about it, his homelife struck a chord in her as well. If she could just figure out-

"Ladybug?" Cat Noir's concerned voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright? You were a little out of it for a while."

"Um, yeah! I'm fine," she smiled a little too widely. "Just thinking is all."

He held up the box of macarons to her and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "About me I hope."

She didn't immediately reply, instead opting to take a macaron. She took a bite, chewing it slowly before loudly saying, "Yep!"

Cat Noir spat out the macaron he'd been eating to start coughing and spluttering.

Ladybug giggled, thumping his back. "You're supposed to eat your food, Kitty, not inhale it."

His airways cleared of crumbs, they fell into an awkward silence.

Playing with the belt buckle at the end of his tail, Cat Noir was the first to break through the thick cloud suddenly covering them. "So… Were you really thinking about me?"

She sighed, staring at the half eaten treat in her hand. "Yes. I thinking about how you remind me of someone."

"Really? And who might that be?" he asked, a wry grin on his face.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted. Her nose scrunched up as she tried to think, "Just someone. It'll probably come to me later."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out soon, Bugaboo."

Giving a non-committal sound, Ladybug got to her feet.

Cat Noir jumped up beside here, a slight whine in his voice, "Leaving so soon?"

"It's getting late," she said by way of explanation. She didn't want to admit she was leaving because of how confused she felt.

"Okay," his ears dropped and his tail hung limp. "Here," he grabbed the macaron box and held it out, "You can at lease take these."

She smiled politely, fist gently closed around the half-eaten macaron already in her hand. "It's fine, Cat. I eat things like this all the time. I'm sure you'll enjoy them more than I will."

He frowned a little in confusion before smiling brightly. "I always knew there was something sweet about you."

She turned to hide her blush. "Uh, yeah. Bye, Cat Noir." She quickly swung away before he could reply so he wouldn't hear her increased heartbeat.

Arriving home, she de-transformed and lay on her bed. She held up the pink, half macaron, staring at it in silence for a minute while Tikki quietly munched on a cookie. With a sigh, Marinette placed it beside her kwami and rolled over, clutching a pillow to her chest. Very little sleep would be had that night.

….

A week later Marinette was minding her parents' store as they stepped out for a moment. She was just retrieving a batch of cinnamon scrolls from the oven when she heard the chime over the door jingle.

"I'll be with you in a sec," she called over her shoulder.

"Take all the time you need. I can wait," came the polite reply.

Marinette's heart skipped a beat and she whirled around to face the customer, a garbled shriek escaping her lips. In her haste, the tray went flying, unceremoniously tossing the cinnamon scrolls across the room.

"Oh, gosh, Marinette! I'm so sorry for startling you," the blond boy apologised, rushing over to help pick up the fallen scrolls.

"A- Adrien, h- hi!" she squeaked. Grimacing, she silently cursed herself for stuttering. She'd been doing so well lately, hardly a stutter or mixed up sentence to be seen. His appearance at the bakery had caught her off guard, thus bringing it back.

Upon realising that he was kneeling down and cleaning up the mess she'd made, Marinette squeaked again. Rushing over, she took the ruined scroll from him. "You shouldn't be doing that. I was the one who dropped them."

"But it's my fault for scaring you like that," he said, picking up another one. "I want to a least help."

He looked so sweet, how could she refuse. "Okay."

They worked in silence, cleaning up the rest of the cinnamon scrolls. Just as Marinette bent down for the last one, fingers brushed against hers right before something hard hit her head. She yelped, leaping back. Someone else yelped in sync with her. She looked up as she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead to see Adrien doing the same. Blood rushed to her face as she experienced an internal freak out.

Adrien's face was also red as he awkwardly tried to laugh it off, "I thought head banging only happened at rock concerts."

Marinette stared at him, frozen and wide eyed. Had he just…

Adrien's forced smile faded the longer she stared at him. He started to fear he might have broken the girl. "M- Marinette? Are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No! It's alright, I'm fine! Better than fine! I do stuff like this all the time!" she devolved into nervous laughter.

"You bump people's heads?"

"Yes! No! Uh… well, sometimes. Not usually with my own…" her thoughts turned back to her kitty and the amount of times she'd bonked him on the head, usually with her own yoyo.

He chuckled, a light and carefree laugh, the very sound of which made her heart melt. She could see her gravestone now. It would read, 'Here lies Marinette Dupain-Cheng, killed by the sweetness of a boy made from pure sunshine.'

His laughter died down and he was left beaming at her. "It's alright. Maybe if I come up with a large enough bruise I can get out of modelling for a few days."

Marinette let out a strangled squeak and paled as white as death. Her thoughts ran wild. What if she caused a huge bruise to come up and cover his entire face, worse, what if she'd given him a concussion or even permanent brain damage! What if it forced him to quit modelling. His father would come over and sue her for everything they owned, and her parents would be out on the street and have to beg for food and she'd never get to see Adrien again! She'd be blacklisted by the head of Gabriel for injuring his son, who was also his top model, and be banned from ever setting foot in another fabric store and her dream of becoming a fashion designer would be over!

"Marinette!"

The frightened cry shattered the nightmare she'd created. The bluenette blinked a few times to realise she was staring into two worried peridot green eyes, his hands on her shoulders.

"Marinette, are you alright? You went really pale and I thought you were going to faint. I didn't think we'd banged our heads that hard." He leaned a little closer and brushed back her fringe, trying to check the spot where their heads collided.

She felt like her heart might explode from her chest. He was close. So close she could feel his breath and admire every perfectly chiseled feature on his concerned face. It earned a soft dreamy sigh from the lovestruck girl.

"Ouch!" she flinched back as he brushed a finger against the small lump starting to form.

"Sorry."

They stared at one another for a moment before he suddenly sat back, a pink tinge to his cheeks as he cleared his throat and backed away.

"You, um, might want to put some ice on that. T- to stop it from swelling too much."

"Uh, yeah. You too. Uh, I mean, I'll get some ice!" she sprang up and raced upstairs.

Tikki came out of hiding as Marinette rummaged around the freezer.

"He seemed concerned about you," the kwami grinned teasingly.

Marinette was glad her head was still in the freezer to help cool her inflamed cheeks. "I'm sure he's just being a good friend."

She didn't want to get her hopes up. There was also her new found feelings towards Cat Noir to contend with. The small bluenette suddenly groaned. How was she supposed to deal with this? She'd been in love with Adrien for so long, and still was if her reaction to him was anything to go by. Yet, somehow her loyal partner had wormed his way into her heart as well. Was she a bad person for having fallen for two people? Why did this have to be so complicated?

"Ugh," she slumped against the fridge. "Tikki, what am I supposed to do?"

"About what?" the kwami asked gently, as if she didn't already know what was bothering her chosen.

"How can I be in love with two people? How do I choose?!"

Tikki looked upon her charge in sympathy. She was well aware that the situation was not quite as complicated as Marinette made it out to be, however, she was unable to comment on it without giving everything away. So for now, she nuzzled against the girl's cheek, "I'm afraid you're going to have to figure this one out on your own, Marinette."

Sighing, the bluenette gathered what she needed and headed back down to the bakery.

When she returned, she gasped, dropping the two cloth bundles she'd been holding. "Adrien! What are you doing?"

He paused, cinnamon scroll halfway to his open mouth. "What? My father won't find out."

She stomped up to him, her hands on her hips. "Your father wasn't the one I was worried about. _Adrien_ , those have been on the _floor_."

He grinned and quickly took another bite. Marinette's jaw dropped open, earning a chuckle from the blond. He spoke around his mouthful, lifting his free hand to cover his mouth. "I didn't want them to go to waste. I know you can't sell them, but your floor's clean so I figured it wouldn't hurt. Plus there's the five minute rule."

She rolled her eyes. "It's the five _second_ rule. And that doesn't mean you should listen to it and just eat anything off the floor."

"Regardless, they're still good," he took another bite.

Seeing that she wasn't going to convince him otherwise, Marinette shook her head and went to pick up the bundles she'd dropped. She held one out to Adrien.

"What's this?" he asked taking it.

"Ice. I thought I would get you some too," she smiled, holding her own ice wrapped cloth to her forehead.

"Thanks, Marinette," he held it against his head, wincing as it touched the sore spot.

They fell into silence, leaning against the bench. Feeling like she should say something, Marinette decided to speak, "So, um, what brought you here? I mean, I guess you wanted to buy something, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" he said, as if only just remembering why he'd dropped by. "Um, well, I have this friend. I told them how great the food was here, and um, I wanted to bring them a selection of treats."

"That's kind of you," she smiled. Heading towards the display filled with various pastries, she asked, "What were you thinking of getting?"

He moved to join her, lowering the ice as he glanced over the treats. "I'm not sure. As much as I'd love to get one of everything, I don't think they need that much."

They shared a small chuckle before Marinette grabbed a box. "So a variety of sweets. I think we can arrange that."

It didn't take them long to pick out enough pastries to fill the box. However, before she closed it, Marinette's face lit up. "Oh! I've got the perfect thing to finish it off."

Rushing over to some back shelves, she pulled out two cup cakes, one green and one blue. Each had a purple flower crafted out of marzipan on top. "I made a test batch earlier today," she explained, carefully adding them to the box. "We don't usually do cupcakes but we're thinking about selling some and I was testing out the flower design."

"You designed those?"

"Yep," she grinned, closing the box.

"Wow, Marinette. They're beautiful. You're amazing."

Her cheeks flushed red for the hundredth time that afternoon. "Thank you."

"My friend will love them, thank you. You've been so kind," he took the treats, staring at the box like it was the most amazing thing on the planet. .

"Oh, it's nothing. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. I hope you enjoy them together."

"I'm sure we will. Thanks again, Marinette," he smiled warmly, giving a wave as he left.

"Bye, Adrien," she waved in return, warm fuzzy feelings bubbling up inside her. What she wouldn't do to see that smile everyday.

….

Later that night, after her parents had gone to bed, Marinette, now Ladybug, landed on a familiar rooftop. It was the same place overlooking the river where she'd sat with Cat Noir some weeks before. The same night she'd realised her growing feelings for him.

The feline themed hero turned as she arrived, a dazzling smile lighting up his features. "Good evening, My Lady. You're looking just as beautiful as ever."

"Hello to you too, Kitty," she greeted with a chuckled and sat beside him.

"I hope you've had a good day."

Memories of her afternoon with Adrien filled her mind, warmth enveloping her again. "Yes," she said eventually, still staring off into space. "It was a very good day."

"I'm glad to hear it, Bugaboo. And I hope to make it even better." He pulled out a box, "I brought some very special treats today."

As her gaze landed on said box, Ladybug's face scrunched up in confusion. It was from her parents' bakery again. But when had Cat Noir come in? It certainly hadn't been as his superhero self. She definitely would have noticed that. Then had he dropped by as a civilian? Had he done so while she was working? Had she met him and never even noticed?

"Don't worry, I didn't get macarons this time." He slowly opened the box revealing an assortment of pastries, a far too familiar assortment. Cat Noir didn't noticed Ladybug freezing in shock as he continued excitedly. "The owners' daughter even gifted me these amazing cupcakes! She designed the flower herself. She even helped me pick out all the treats so that I have only the best for my Lady."

He looked up only for his smile to fade. Her wide-eyed stare unnerved him. He'd never seen her look so frightened. "Ladybug?" I- Is something wrong?"

"A- Adrien?"

This time Cat Noir froze, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

That was all the conformation Ladybug needed. With shaky fingers, she reached for her yoyo and stood. "I- I have to go."

Cat Noir jerked out of his trance, a look of pure panic on his face. "Ladybug, wait! This doesn't have to change anything. Please…"

Even as she saw the frightened kitten eyes of her partner, she was embroiled in her own fear. Looking away, she choked out, "It's already changed so much."

Before he could reply, she tossed her yoyo and swung away. Flying through the air, she heard him call out, but it was all she could do not to break down in tears. She felt so confused. How was it that the two boys that had claimed her heart were one in the same?

….

The next day at school had Marinette more flustered than usual. She spent the day completely avoiding Adrien, even going so far as to forcibly drag Alya away from the boys. Of course, the blogger immediately knew something was up, and after Marinette ran away for the fifth time that day, she cornered her friend in the girl's bathroom.

"Alright, girl," she stared Marinette down, hands on her hips. "What happened between you and dream boy?"

"What?! Nothing! Nothing happened!" she squirmed under Alya's stern gaze, avoiding eye contact with the auburn haired girl. "I- I don't know what you're talking about."

"Girl, you've been avoiding him all day. You won't even look at him and worse, you can't even stay focused on any conversation I try to strike up, let alone pay attention in class."

Marinette dropped her head and took to staring at her shoes. It wasn't like she could tell Alya what had happened. She was sure that would go down super well. 'Oh yeah, I just found out that my superhero partner was also the boy who I've had the biggest crush on for the longest time and I'm just freaking out over the whole thing.' Yep, that would go over well.

Instead she mumbled an excuse. "I've just been busy, work, plans, drawing things…"

"What?" Alya shook her head, not understanding. She rolled her eyes playfully, "Ya know, whatever, don't worry about it. I'm used to you being crazy. I'm just a little surprised." A sad light entered her golden eyes. "You're usually a little more attentive to other people's feelings."

Marinette's head shot up. "What do you mean? What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"You really haven't seen it, have you?" At her friend's blank stare, Alya continued, "Adrien's been really down all day. Nino's tried asking about it but Adrien won't say. He thinks it has something to do with Adrien's dad again, but I'm not so sure. He just sorta looks like a kicked puppy."

Biting her lip, Marinette looked away. _A kicked kitten more like,_ she thought.

"With you acting weirder than usual, I thought something might have happened between you two. But if you're sure?"

"Yeah, Alya. It's fine," she assured her.

With a nod, the two friends left the bathroom, one wondering what she could do to fix things.

….

The conversation with Alya rattled around the bluenette's head for the rest of their afternoon classes. Now that she was paying more attention, she could see just how depressed her kitty was. Adrien sat with his shoulders slumped and his head down. A casual observer might not have noticed the particular way he tilted his head or fiddled with his pencil, but Marinette did. She'd spent half her time staring at the blond since he started school and she'd picked up a few things. And now that she knew he was her crime fighting partner, she noticed a few other things as well. They had the same practiced smile when they tried to hide their pain, the same caring look in their green eyes when they encouraged her and the same love of sweet treats.

"Daydreaming again?" whispered Alya with a smirk as she nodded in Adrien's direction.

Marinette ignored her and went back to her note taking. She really didn't need Alya reading her thoughts right now. Her gaze briefly flicked back to the boy in front of her. She couldn't let him continue to wallow in hopelessness. He must think that Ladybug rejected him for who he was behind the mask. She'd run off so suddenly, so overwhelmed by her own feelings that she hadn't stopped to consider his. That made her feel all the more rotten.

Sighing, she jotted down the next set of notes. She had to fix this. She _would_ fix this. She was Ladybug, after all, and that was what she did.

For the rest of the day, she planned and plotted how she was going to make it up to him. If he turned her down after that, so be it. It was nothing less than she deserved. But at least then he would know the truth.

….

After bidding goodbye to Alya at the end of the day and seeing her walk off, Marinette turned to watch Adrien and Nino say their own goodbyes at the steps outside the school. Adrien put on a smile that Nino clearly saw through. The dark skinned boy gave his friend a gentle punch to the shoulder before they parted ways. Taking a deep breath, she waited until Nino had gone and Adrien was headed for his waiting car to make her move.

"Adrien!" she greeted cheerfully, walking up to him.

He turned around in surprise, putting on a friendly smile, though it still didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, Marinette. Hi."

Fiddling with her bag strap, she drew on her Ladybug courage, determined not to back out now. "Here," she handed him a folded up piece of paper. It had been difficult making sure Alya hadn't seen her write it. "Meet me there at nine tonight."

Adrien's eyes widened in alarm. "But I can't-"

"I know you can make it if you really want to," she said, doing her best to look more confident than she felt, "And trust me, you'll want to be there."

He floundered for a response, finally settling on, "But why would you-"

"I have something for you, something that I hope will brighten up your day," she smiled. "Don't leave me waiting."

Turning on her heel, Marinette strode off, feeling a little better than she did that morning. With her parent's bakery up ahead, her thoughts turned back to her plans for the night. She had a lot to do if she wanted to be ready.

….

That night Marinette sat on a bench down by the Seine where she'd told Adrien to meet her. Everything was in place and now she just had to wait for her blond haired partner to arrive.

She was just admiring the way the moonlight reflected of the water when he walked up. All her nerves threatened to send her running but she pushed them down and forced a smile on her face as she stood to greet him.

"Hello, Adrien."

"Hi, Marinette," he smiled, though he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. It only served to fluff it up a bit, making it resemble Cat Noir's style.

Marinette held back a swoon and instead cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Mentally shaking her head, she focused on why she was there. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Yes, well I couldn't very well let a lady sit here alone in the dark, could I? A gentleman always ensures a lady's safety above his own and I couldn't leave you out here by yourself. Not only would it be rude, but who knows what might come by."

She ducked her head, hiding behind her fringe as she smiled to herself. That was exactly what she'd been counting on. "I'm glad I've got someone like you looking out for me."

"Always, Marinette," he promised, not able to hide the slight blush that rose to his cheeks.

Words caught in her throat. He was so kind and thoughtful, always looking out for his friends. She really hoped he didn't hate her after all this. Coughing a little to hide her nerves and regain her voice, she said, "So, um, there were a few reasons I asked you out here like this. But first I have to show you something."

"Okay."

She led him to a nearby building, and unlocked the door.

"The owner is a friend of my parents. All it took was a few croissants for him to let me use the place," she answered his unasked question.

"Ah," he chuckled in understanding. "I know I'd do almost anything for one of your families fantastic croissants."

She led him to the roof, swinging the door open. she stood back, allowing him to go first and take it in.

He gasped, walking out, "Marinette…"

Candles lined the edge of the rooftop, interspaced with bundles of leaves and flowers. In the middle of it all there was a picnic blanket spread out. Two plates and two glasses were already set out and a picnic basket sat between them.

When he didn't say anything, Marinette moved to stand beside him. "You seemed a bit down today and I thought you could use a pick-me-up."

"Wow, this is… this is amazing…" he breathed, stepping forward to admire the scene. Taking a closer look at the candles, he grinned. "Fake candles?"

She smirked, sitting down to unload the basket, "I didn't want to risk burning down all of Paris, did I?"

He paused at the familiar line, but seemed to shake it off upon seeing the fresh pastries. Licking his lips, he sat down to join her. He savoured the warm smells before grabbing a pain au chocolat and taking a bite. "You really did all this for me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? You're one of my best friends," she caught herself before she added Kitty. She was quite ready to reveal that just yet.

"It's just that I never would have expected anyone to do something like this for me. I mean, people give me gifts all the time because I'm famous and they think it might earn them some favour with me or by father. But this," he made a sweeping gesture encompassing the picnic and decorations, "This is nice."

Marinette smiled, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks. "I'm glad you think so."

They ate and chatted for a while, the tension in each of them slowly easing. After an hour had gone by, Marinette felt like it was time. Her nerves returned, though not with the same force as before. Being with Adrien and experiencing his warmth and friendship had eased some of her worst fears.

"Um, hey Adrien," she said during a lull in the conversation.

"Yes, Marinette?" He turned to her, "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, actually there is," she tightly gripped the napkin in her hands, resisting the urge to tear it in half. "You see, wanting to cheer you up wasn't the only reason for inviting you out tonight."

"Oh?" he tilted his head, reminding her so much of her kitty. She could just imagine his perking in curiosity.

"Well," she set down the napkin and tapped her fingers together, "I also wanted to apologise."

He looked even more confused. "What for? You haven't done anything. Quite the opposite actually. I had been feeling pretty down today and this, what you've done, hanging out like this, it's been great."

"But I have, and I'm so so sorry. I really hope you'll forgive me." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she lifted out one of the treats she'd been saving and set it down between them. It was a cupcake, much like the ones that had revealed his identity to her not too long ago. However, instead of a flower, this one was decorated with the face of a black kitten with green eyes.

Adrien stared down at it, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't- I don't understand."

"You will in a second, Cat Noir."

He jolted, gaze flicking from the cake to her. "But how did you know? I never- I thought I was so careful."

She didn't answer, instead pulling out another cupcake, this one decorated with a ladybug and placed it next to the cat. She gave him a nervous smile. "Um, surprise?"

She watched his face as he put the pieces together. His perfect green eyes flicked from her to the cupcake and back again. He stared at her intently, seeming to study her features in the soft candlelight.

"Ladybug?" he said softly. It was breathless and tentative, as if he wasn't sure whether it was actually true.

"H- hey, Kitty," she choked out around the lump in her throat.

"You- you're Ladybug? Marinette?"

She swallowed, dropping her head. "Yes."

"How did you-" he stopped, glancing down at the cupcakes in their hands, understanding dawning in his eyes. "It was the cupcakes, wasn't it?" He let out a short laugh. "That explains so much. I couldn't figure out how you knew it was me, but now it makes sense. You knew because you gave them to me earlier that day."

Marinette fought back a sob, soft tears already flowing down her cheeks. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. And I just left without any explanation. I'm so sorry. You don't deserve that. I s- saw the pastries," she hiccupped, "and you were talking about the cupcakes and I panicked, so I ran. I mean, how was I supposed to know that the two boys I'd fallen in love with were actually the same one. I could never have seen that coming and didn't know what to do. But I left and I hurt you. I saw that it hurt you and I still left. And then I was so busy trying to avoid you that I didn't see how much you were hurting until Alya pointed it out and I just knew that it was it was all my fault. And I'm so sorry for making you feel like you were nothing and that I rejected you for being you, when in reality you're perfect and I'm nothing an- and I understand if you want to find a new Ladybug to work with, one who isn't such a screw up. I'm so sorry, Kitty, just so sorry…"

She couldn't bring herself to look at him, too busy screwing her eyes shut and keep back her sobs. She almost didn't hear Adrien when he finally spoke.

"Marinette."

"I- if you hate me, please just say it quickly and get it over with."

"Marinette, please look at me," he said softly, a finger at her chin.

She let him lift her head, looking at him through tear blurred vision.

He smiled softly, "I could never hate you. I love you too much for that."

"Y- you mean that?" she hiccupped

He smirked in a typical Cat Noir fashion. "Would I ever lie to you, Bugaboo?"

This brought a smile to her face and she giggled. "Of course not, Kitty. I'm just sorry it took me so long to see it."

"If it makes you feel any better, you figured it out before I did, and things seemed to have turned out pretty well."

She smiled shyly. "Yeah, I guess so. What part did you like the most? The food? The setting?"

A cocky grin lit up his features. "Finding out that my lady returned my affections and that she truly loves both sides of this kitty."

Marinette squeaked and turned bright red, covering her face with her hands. "I said that out _loud_?"

"You did mean it, didn't you?"

She peaked through her fingers to see his peridot green eyes shining with hope. Slowly taking her hands away, she smiled. "I did. I _do_. I…" she swallowed back her nerves. "I love you. As Adrien and Cat Noir." The smile on his face caused her heart to flutter and made her wonder how she got so lucky. "I'm glad it's you."

He shuffled closer, reaching out to interlock their fingers. "I'm glad it's you too. I can't think of anyone who would make a better Ladybug than you." Staring into her eyes, he kissed the back of her hand. "I love you. All of you. Ladybug and Marinette. I'd loved Ladybug for the longest time, but more recently I'd begun noticing my feelings for a certain classmate."

Marinette sucked in a breath, her gaze locked onto his, unable to say a word.

"There was this amazing girl. Talented, caring and so brave. I'm not sure when she snuck into my heart, but she did and I couldn't help be drawn to her parent's bakery. One afternoon she was there, and well… I guess you could say things spiralled out of control because of that. She dropped a batch of cinnamon scrolls, we bumped heads and she gave me cupcakes. I should have realised then that we were practically married by then."

Her blush deepened as he wiggled his eyebrows in a very Cat Noir like manner.

Flustered, she fell back on old habits and pushed him back with a finger to his nose. "Calm down, Kitty. I think we should take this one step at a time. W- we've only just discovered that our feelings are m- mutual…"

She swallowed, her tongue feeling like it was tying itself in knots as the realisation of everything dawned on her. The boy she'd been pining after forever and her partner who'd slipped his way into her heart, the one perfect boy that made up the both of them, he loved her. He truly loved her. Her heart felt full to bursting, like all that she'd ever hoped and dreamed, had all come at once.

Looking at the boy before her, she noticed a fear in his eyes; a fear of rejection, if she had to guess. A fear of having gone too far and losing her before he even had a chance to properly win her heart. Smiling, Marinette squeezed his hand in reassurance. "I was hoping you'd ask me on a date before you asked me to marry you."

The grin that split his face was worth it. She'd never get tired of seeing such joy in his eyes. "Of course, my Lady," Adrien said, grinning from ear to ear. He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes. "Marinette, how would you like to go on a date with me?"

She matched his grin with one of her own. "I'd love to."

"Does that make you my girlfriend, Bugaboo?"

The familiar nickname earned a smirk from the pigtailed girl, her more confident Ladybug demeanour leaking out. "Would you like me to be?"

"Very much so," he sighed breathlessly.

"Then yes."

"Does this mean I get to kiss you now?" he asked.

"Hmm," she muttered coyly, "I suppose to, Kitty."

Adrien leaned in so their noses were almost touching. "Please don't tease me, my Lady. I've been waiting a long time for this."

Marinette felt her heartbeat quicken as he breath mingled with his. Somehow she managed to speak with a confidence she didn't know she felt. "Then don't wait any longer."

He didn't, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips against hers.

Yet before they could truly savour the moment, there was a shout. "About time!"

The pair sprang apart with matching blushes to see two kwamis hovering nearby.

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded. "We were supposed to leave them alone."

"It was a momentous occasion," he retorted, gesturing to the new couple. "It needed to be heralded."

"Well you've well and truly marked the moment. We can go now," grumbled Tikki as she dragged him away.

"But I haven't even teased them for smooching yet," he whined before they disappeared into the basket, Tikki slamming the lid closed after them.

Adrien cleared his throat, "Um, sorry about him. That was, well, _Plagg_. He can be a bit of nuisance sometimes."

"He does seem a bit of a handful," giggled Marinette.

"So uh, before we were so rudely interrupted…"

"Oh, um, yeah, that," she blushed, fiddling with the sleeve of her blazer.

He reached over, caressing her cheek. "Shall we continue what we started?"

"Yeah…" she replied breathlessly as they leaned into one another.

The rest of their evening went on with more with kisses and cuddles but most of their time was spent simply talking, finding joy in their time together, under the moonlight.


	4. Akuma Lesson

Happy New Year! A short piece today based off an idea I had after Zombizou. Sorry there's no reveal, but there'll be one next week, so keep an eye out for that ;)

* * *

 **Akuma Lesson**

Summary: After defeating Zombizou, Marinette can't stop thinking about what happened that day.

* * *

Marinette sat at her desk, her homework in front of her. She tapped her chin with her pencil lost in thoughts far from her work.

"Tikki," she said, pausing her tapping, "That akuma was coming after me. But how could it? I thought as miraculous holders we were immune.

Her kwami flew over to hover in front of her charge. "Sadly they don't offer immunity so much as protection." At the girl's blank stare, she continued, "The miraculous offers you a level of protection that will stop Hawk Moth from targeting you when you're upset, but it won't stop him if you let your emotions get the best of you."

Hanging her head, Marinette wrapped her arms around her knees. "So that could have been me today?"

"Yes," Tikki replied softly.

"Everyone trusts me to save them." She pushed away from her desk, rolling her chair away and tucking her knees up to her chest. "The whole city has put their faith in me and I almost let them all down." Wrapping her arms around legs, she buried her face in her knees. "How can they all believe in me when I messed up? If I let myself be akumatized, who's going to save Paris? Maybe you should find someone else to be Ladybug…"

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki flew over to pat the girl's hair. "You made a mistake. Everyone does that. You can't call it quits over that."

She lifted her head to look at the kwami. "But my mistake almost cost all of Paris, maybe even the whole world. How am I supposed to face that?"

Tikki grinned. "With the same courage and determination you've been facing it this whole time. Everyone believes in you, because you can do it, Marinette. You're the chosen one!"

She sighed, glancing at the floor, "I don't feel like the chosen one."

Humming thoughtfully to herself, Tikki flew closer, "Marinette," she waited until the girl turned her attention back to her before continuing, "Didn't you learn something today?"

"That everyone has a crazy amount of faith in me to fix everything?"

Grinning, she shook her head. "No. Didn't you see Chole today?"

Marinette paused to think over the day's events. "Yeah, I guess. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe what you see of her, isn't all of her. Sure, she acts like a snob and doesn't treat anyone very well, but perhaps Miss Bustier was right? That maybe people like Chloe need people like you to show them how to love, whether you're doing that as Marinette, or Ladybug. You don't have to give in to negative emotions when someone like her doesn't treat you right. They probably don't know any better. Your love for people is the reason why they trust you so much. It's definitely the reason Chloe sacrificed herself for you today."

Pondering her kwami's words, Marinette eventually broke into a smile. "You're right, Tikki. I'm sorry for letting her get to me today. I shouldn't have done that and I'll do better in future. Chloe proved that she is capable of thinking about someone other than herself. She does have a heart, she just doesn't know how to use it and how is she going to learn how unless someone shows her?"

Tikki smiled proudly. "That's my Marinette. So what are you going to do now?"

She smiled, "Well, I'm not going to get that angry again for one."

Her kwami giggled, "Good. Then what?"

"And for the rest, I think I have an idea."

hr

The next morning at school, arriving on time for once, Marinette walked in to find Alya and Chloe standing at the front of the classroom arguing. Taking a deep breath, she knew it was time to start work on sharing the love.

"You want i _me/i_ to apologise to the entire class? Ridiculous!" Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest, "They should be thanking me for saving everybody."

Alya huffed and leaned in to glare at the girl, "I happen to have several accounts of what went down—including my own—and they don't exactly match your version."

It was now or never. Putting a sweet smile on her face, Marinette moved over to rest an arm Alya's shoulders and addressed the blonde. "I heard you helped Ladybug and saved Miss Bustier! Awesome! There really i _is/i_ a heart beating in there after all. Sorry I said there wasn't."

"Uh, but—!" Alya started before Marinette interrupted.

The bluenette giggled softly, steering Alya back to their desk with a forceful shove. "And Thanks!"

Chloe stared after her in surprise, Sabrina matching her expression. They glanced at one another and Chloe gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Marinette? Girl, are you still Zombizoufied, or what?" Alya asked as they took their seats.

She smiled. "I've realised Chloé has a heart, too. She just doesn't know how to use it. Hopefully, she'll learn if we continue setting a positive example."

The blonde edged up to the teachers desk, hand shooting out to place something down behind the computer monitor. Hand retreating as quickly as it went out, she looked out the window, acting as if nothing was amiss.

Alya gasped.

Beside her, Marinette smiled. It seemed Miss Bustier was right after all. Chloe was capable of change. Whether she would or not, would ultimately be up to her, but if they each played their part in showing her kindness, she might just come around. It wasn't going to be quick fix, but even the little steps were progress, and even a little progress was better than no progress.

Miss Bustier entered the classroom and Chloe took her seat. She greeted the class and Marinette caste a final glance towards the blonde. It would be be a long time before Chloe turned over a new leaf and changed her ways, but she would do her best to help that change along. As Ladybug it was her job to help people, even if those people were the Chloe's of the world.


	5. Fall Damage

One of my favourite reveals because it's just so sweet. Well, after a slight bit of angst first.~

* * *

 **Fall Damage**

Summary: With seconds left of his transformation, an akuma flings Cat Noir across the city. Too bad a cat doesn't always land on its feet.

* * *

"Ugh," groaned Cat Noir as he hit the side of a building. The akuma had flung him halfway across Paris before the building brought him to a sudden stop. His transformation faded away before he fell the few metres to the ground. Oh, yeah, and his time had been running out too. Great…

"Ah!" he cried out, falling through some bushes and hitting the ground now devoid of his miraculous suit. The pain that had been mild hitting the building, suddenly quadrupled as he hit the ground. Everything hurt. He tried to roll over to be more comfortable, but the pain that flared up quickly shut down that idea. He could have sworn he felt something wet near his face too.

"Cat Noir!" called a voice. They sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He heard nearby footsteps and the same voice letting out a gasp. "Adrien…"

He couldn't do more than let out a groan. He wanted to look up at the voice but everything seemed to be fading into the darkness. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a moment everything would be better.

"No! Adrien! No sleeping!" someone shouted, shaking his shoulder.

He grunted, wincing at the fresh pain but couldn't fight the drowsiness overcoming his mind. Just five minutes…

* * *

Marinette had been walking home from spending the afternoon at the Trocadero with her sketchbook and was completely oblivious to the akuma attack when her superhero partner suddenly sailed over her head. She'd seen him hit a building and then lost sight of him as he fell. Nobody else seemed to have paid much attention to the hero, but after having been Ladybug for so long, she'd learnt to be a bit more observant of the world around her, at least when it came to flying objects, the ground still seemed to give her trouble.

Before she could even think about it, she was running towards him, calling out his name. She'd make sure he was alright and find out what was going on before finding herself a place to transform.

She expected him to come leaping out the bushes in front of the building proclaiming that he was alright with a flirty look and a pun, but he didn't. Something wasn't right. Cat Noir always bounced back after a hit. She'd watched him smack into plenty of things before, buildings, street lights, cars, the ground. He looked a bit hurt but had never been seriously injured. Their suits protected them from the bulk of the damage. Why hadn't it this time?

Then as she stepped around the bushes she realised why with a gasp. "Adrien…"

The blond boy crumpled up on the ground merely groaned at the sound of his name. The sight of him with scratches across his arms and face worried her but not as much as the small pool of blood near his head. She swallowed, getting closer, borderline panicking as she tried to put the pieces together, knowing yet not quite believing.

She could see his eyes closing and knew from her minimal first aid training that people with head wounds shouldn't sleep.

"No! Adrien! No sleeping!" she yelled, frantically shaking his shoulder to keep him awake. She could see the losing battle in his eyes. "Adrien!" she yelled again, only to watch his eyes closed and his body relax into unconsciousness.

"Tikki!" she hissed, rolling the boy over and taking off her jacket to press it against Adrien's head wound.

The red kwami flew out of her purse, looking down at the boy with worry.

"Tikki, what do I do? I can't leave him like this! But- I- I don't…"

"Oh hey. It's you…" groaned a new voice. The pair glanced towards another kwami crawling up Adrien's stomach. He glanced at his boy's face, his own green eyes filled with concern. "You'll help him, right?"

Marinette glanced at Tikki for guidance. She didn't know what to do. She was in over her head. Tikki saw this, the young girl seeming so much younger as she desperately pleaded for a solution.

"Marinette, you're going to need to transform," her voice took on a firmness not often heard from the kwami. "You can take him to Master Fu's. He'll take care of Adrien while you take care of the akuma. It was an akuma, right Plagg?" When he nodded, she continued. "You can tell us about it on the way. Once you've taken care of the akuma, your miraculous ladybug will fix everything. He should be fine. You just have to do it quickly."

The girl glanced down at her crush, the blood from his head wound still seeping into her jacket. "And without Cat Noir…"

Saying the words aloud seemed to have finalised them in her head. Adrien was Cat Noir. Her crazy goofy pun-loving partner was her crush, the absolute love of her life. And Adrien, Cat Noir, her friend and partner, was bleeding out in front of her. He needed her help, and she wasn't going to let him down.

A look of determination crossed her face. "Tikki, spots on!"

There were no fancy moves, no extravagant poses, and no smiles to be had as the magic washed over her.

Now Ladybug, she picked up Adrien with ease, keeping her jacket between his head and her body to help stem the blood loss.

"Don't you dare die on me, Adrien," she muttered as she took out her yoyo

* * *

An elderly Chinese gentleman sipped tea in his studio. Beside him sat his kwami with a small thimble also filled with tea. They had heard of the akuma attack but trusted the superheroes would deal with the threat. They always did.

"Master Fu!" The shout interrupted their calm afternoon.

Man and kwami glanced at each other, both wondering about the urgency in the voice. The elderly gentleman set down his tea so that he could rise when his door burst off the hinges. He startled at the appearance of Ladybug as she came out of a kick and rushed into the room.

"Master Fu, I need your help!" she yelled.

He noticed the boy in her arms, a frown crossing his features. Recognising the blond young man, his eyes widened and he withheld a gasp. The boy appeared in bad shape. He'd bled all over a grey jacket and Ladybug herself. The rest of his skin was also covered in numerous scrapes and bruises starting to turn a bluish purple. His heart twisted seeing him in such shape.

"Of course, bring him here." He gestured to the mat in front of him before stepping away to retrieve his first aid kit. She did as ordered and Master Fu asked, "What happened?"

"I- I don't- he- Cat…" Ladybug stammered, watching the blond take shallow uneven breaths.

A black cat kwami appeared, tired but amazingly not whining for cheese. Instead he explained things more clearly than the young heroine. "The kid was fighting Hawk Moth's latest akuma. He'd already used his cataclysm and was trying to hold out as long as possible since Ladybug hadn't arrived yet." He didn't notice the dark haired girl flinch, but Master Fu did, filing it away for later. "He didn't have much time left when he was booted into the air. He hit the side of a building before de-transforming. Kid was injured in the fall."

"I see," muttered the old man as he tended to the boy, "And Ladybug?"

"I- I saw him fly over and went to check. I found him like this," her voice cracking with unshed tears.

"It isn't your fault," Master Fu said gently. He looked up to offer her a comforting smile. "He is lucky you were the one to find him."

She nodded wordlessly, the look of horror never leaving her eyes.

"Wayzz, Plagg, keep an eye on him. Ladybug, come." He stood. "You will need an ally if he is to be healed, the sooner the better."

She followed as he made his way over to the old gramophone. "And my cure will fix him? Fix everything?"

"Yes," he said, taking out the ancient Chinese box and opening it. "He shall be restored to health. Now choose a miraculous and quickly be on your way. We do not wish to prolong his suffering any further."

"Yes, Master Fu." She grabbed the fox miraculous. She'd likely have to field Alya's questions but they would work well as a team and she needed that right now. "Thank you."

"There is no need for thanks, but you are most welcome," he replied with a smile. "Now go. Be on your way."

Ladybug nodded and scurried off through the window, leaving Master Fu and the kwamis to tend to Adrien. The old man put away the miraculous box and hurried back to the injured boy. Plagg looked at him, his gaze troubled. It wasn't often he saw the little being of destruction so upset. He truly did care for his chosen.

Setting about to ease the boy's pain he reassured the kwami, "Ladybug will restore him to us. Do not worry yourself, Plagg. Perhaps it would help if you were to eat something. I have some cheese in the kitchen."

Plagg grunted, glancing down at Adrien before flying off. He soon came back with a piece of cheese and sat by the boy's head, the cheese only receiving a few nibbles.

Master Fu hoped Ladybug wrapped up the fight quickly. For all their sakes.

* * *

Twenty minutes later a swarm of ladybugs flew through the room. They circled Adrien, his wounds closing up and the blood disappearing. The two kwamis hovered close by with anxious anticipation. Master Fu himself leaned closer, hoping, praying that the boy would wake up fully restored to himself.

A minute seemed to tick by, and while Adrien's breathing stabilised, he still didn't wake.

Plagg flew over his holder's face. "Come on, kid. Don't do this to me."

"Master, the boy is to be alright, isn't he?" asked a worried Wayzz.

"I am certain he will come to in a moment. His injuries have been healed but it will take a little for his mind to catch up to his body," the old man reassured him.

They waited in silence for a little longer, Plagg growing more antsy by the second. Then, a groan from the boy. He lifted a hand to his head and started to sit up.

"You may want to remain as you are," Master Fu rested a hand on his shoulder forcing him back down. "Your body and mind has undergone some trauma. Rest and collect your senses."

Adrien peeked open his eyes, blinking against the light. "Master Fu? What happened?"

"You just about killed yourself is what happened," growled Plagg. "Don't you dare go do that go me again!"

He smiled fondly up at the kwami. "Sorry, Plagg. But it's nice to know that you care."

"Hmph," Plagg grunted, grabbing his uneaten cheese and chewing loudly.

Adrien gave him a last fond grin before slowly sitting up and drawing his attention to the elderly gentleman beside him. "Master Fu, what am I doing here?"

He answered with a question. "What do you remember?"

"Well, I was fighting an akuma," the blond model explained. "Ladybug hadn't arrived yet so I was doing my best to keep it away from civilians. I used my cataclysm. I remember being kicked away and sailing through the air. I think I hit something. It gets kind of fuzzy after that. I don't know how I got here."

Master Fu nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Polite, as always, Adrien didn't interrupt his thoughts, instead choosing to glance around the room. He'd never been there before. It must have be where the miraculous guardian lived. It wasn't particularly large but it was nice. The decor reminded him of the elderly man's heritage and he wondered if he'd be willing to step in for his regular Chinese tutor more often. He found he liked the old guardian, and since he was the one to give him the miraculous, Adrien didn't need to act like his absolutely perfect self.

He was lost in his musings when the door flung open, though with considerably less force than earlier, remaining on its hinges this time. The girl behind it however, looked no less flustered.

"Master Fu?! Is-" she cut off upon seeing the blond awake and staring at her in shock.

"Ah, Miss Marinette. I am glad to see you have returned from your errand," greeted Master Fu with a smile. "As you can see, Adrien is quite alright now."

Adrien would have very much disagreed with that last statement. His heart pounded in his ears as he realised Plagg and Master Fu's kwami still sat out in the open. Maybe they could pass them off as odd little pets. But if she knew he was there…

"Come join us," the old man invited her in with a wave. "I was just about to tell Adrien how you found him."

Wordlessly, but no less wide eyed, Marinette moved to join them. Meanwhile Adrien shot a panicked look at Master Fu, flicking his head slightly towards the kwamis. The old man merely smiled back at him, not in the least bit concerned.

Seeming to recover a little bit, Marinette gave him a relieved smile, the usual pink dusting her cheeks. "You had me worried."

"Um, haha, yeah…" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about that. You see I-"

"Um, you don't have to come up with a story, Adrien," she stared at the floor, fiddling with her purse strap. "I saw what happened…"

"Oh…" He hung his head. "I'm sorry for giving you this burden."

"Kid's lucky it was only you," grumbled Plagg, finishing off his cheese with a large gulp and proceeding to lick his paws clean. "Just think of what might have happened if it had been that Ladyblogger and her camera."

Adrien shuddered. His secret identity would have been splashed all over the internet. He didn't think Alya would necessarily do so on purpose, but she did have a habit of streaming live during an akuma attack. He didn't want to think about how his father might react to him being Cat Noir.

"We are indeed fortunate," agreed Master Fu. He started to rise. "I will go make some tea. I'm sure there is much you two wish to talk about."

Marinette's eyes widened and she sputtered out a string of words, her voice getting higher with each one, "Us- you- talk- I- _alone_."

The old man chuckled softly. "While I would have advised avoiding this scenario until later, I believe it might be best if you cleared the air now."

With that, he toddled off to make tea, leaving the teens to themselves. Wayzz gave each of them an unreadable look before flying after his master. Plagg was the only one who remained behind, but he didn't seem too fussed. He stretched out on the floor in front of them. He appeared nonchalant, but Adrien knew he was ready to watch the world burn. Specifically Adrien's.

They sat for a while in silence, Adrien glancing every now and then at the girl beside him. She seemed nervous, well, more nervous than usual, biting her lip and wringing her hands.

Wanting to ease her nerves, he spoke first. "I'm sorry. I've put you in a lot of danger. But I promise that I'll protect you, Marinette. There's no way I'd let anything happen to you because of me. I'm sorry for scaring you like that too. I don't want to imagine what I must have looked like after that fall." He sighed. "This isn't exactly how I envisioned anyone finding out. I'd always figured Ladybug and I would share our identities together when she was ready. Then maybe, after we defeated Hawk Moth, of course, I'd get to tell some of my friends…"

He looked up and to his surprise, Marinette looked like she was holding in laughter.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" He rubbed at his cheek.

Delightful giggles escaped her, though she tried to smother them with her hand. "No, no," she laughed. "It isn't that."

"Then what?" he pouted.

"It's just that…" smiling, she ducked her head. "You were the one who was severely injured not half an hour ago, and now you're worried about me. It's sweet. But you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"But Marinette, this is Hawk Moth we're talking about," he protested. "What if he found out you had a connection to me? You and your family could be in danger."

"Then we'll deal with it together, Kitty." She slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze.

He didn't seem to notice, too focused on fretting about what could happen. "Marinette, you don't understand. I can't see one of my friends in danger like this. If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"I know you'd never let it," she grinned. "I trust you've always got my back. You've never let me down before."

"Marin-"

"Adrien!" she cut him off, grabbing his face and looking into his eyes. "Kitty, I trust you with my life. I have since day one. I can take of myself, but I also know you've got my back. There's no one else I'd rather have by my side."

Adrien looked back at her in utter confusion. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, his brain trying to comprehend what she meant.

"Come on, Kitty, you're almost there," she encouraged.

"Kid! How do you still not get it?" griped Plagg, flying up into his vision beside Marinette. Adrien raised an eyebrow and Plagg threw his head back and groaned. Signing, the kwami waved at the girl, pointing out her dark hair and blue eyes. "Doesn't she remind you of someone? Someone who means a lot to you."

"Plagg, I don't…"

"It must be the fall, because I didn't think you could be that _dense_ ," grumbled the kwami.

"Oh, Plagg. Don't tease him like that," said a red kwami that appeared on Marinette's other side. She smiled sweetly at Adrien, "Perhaps I might provide a clue."

Adrien blinked, looking from the kwami to Marinette. His eyes widened as everything fell into place. The girl still holding his cheeks, grinned a little wider, knowing that he'd finally worked it out.

"Marinette?" He breathed. "You're Ladybug?"

She nodded.

A grin split his face. "You're Ladybug! Plagg, she's Ladybug!"

"Hooray, he finally gets it," deadpanned the black kwami.

Adrien laughed, excitedly grabbing the girl and swamping her a hug. She squeaked in surprise, but quickly settled into his arms, humming happily at the feeling.

"I can't believe it! My Lady has been by my side this whole time! This is the best thing ever!" He cheered, squeezing her tightly.

"Adrien… breathing…" Marinette gasped.

"Oh! Sorry!" He let up his grip, but didn't let her out of the hug. "I'm just so happy it's you."

She pushed away just enough to tilt her head up and look at him. She smiled. "Me too."

* * *

Tikki giggled at the pair, coming to hover beside her partner.

"How was he?" She asked softly.

"Bit disoriented after waking up, but otherwise alright," Plagg replied, still watching the scene in front of them. They'd sat back enough for Marinette to start animatedly telling him how she found him. One arm waved wildly through the air, the other's fingers entwined with the boy she loved.

"Good." She looked at Plagg, reaching out to rest a paw on his arm. "I know you did your best to protect him."

He nodded solemnly, not taking his gaze off the boy. Tikki knew that he was quite fond of his charge, as loath as he was to admit it. Losing him would have broken Plagg.

"They took it well," commented Wayzz as he flew over, breaking off their conversation.

Tikki smiled. "Yes. Once Marinette stopped being so nervous."

"They were made for each other," said Master Fu, having quietly joined the kwamis. He smiled at the teens. "I made a good choice with these two if I do say so myself."

Wayzz pouted. "I helped."

The elderly man chuckled. "Of course, Wayzz. I didn't mean to exclude you like that, old friend."

The turtle kwami brightened a little.

They watched on a little longer, Adrien and Marinette so wrapped up in one another that they didn't even notice the small crowd of onlookers. It took Master Fu stepping over with a chuckle to remind them that they weren't alone. He served them tea, and together, three holders and three kwamis, spent the rest of the afternoon together in cheerful merriment. The two teens barely spent a moment where they weren't touching somehow. They naturally sought out one another, finding a comfort in the other's presence. Master Fu knew they that they would be needing each other in the time ahead. Who knew what dangers would their future might hold? But he did know that as long as they were together, they could conquer anything.

* * *

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry to say that I don't know when the next story will be out. I'm working on stuff but haven't finished any of it yet. But there is stuff coming! The first part of a three part fic is done, but I'd like to have all three parts done before posting it. Thanks for reading!


	6. It's All Fun and Statues Until

When watching the Puppeteer 2 episode I couldn't help but wonder what if Marinette had looked up a second sooner and seen Plagg. Thus, this story was born.

Also I'm probably one of the few people who loved that scene anyway. I thought it was hilarious in all its awkwardness. Plus I'm amazed at Adrien's ability to remain a statue despite everything Marinette did. I mean, he could have saved a lot of awkwardness by breaking character earlier! At least by the end, while sad, Marinette didn't give up on him, so it was basically a reverse Glaciator.

Regardless, enjoy my alternate take on things!

* * *

 **It's All Fun and Statues Until Somebody Gets Spotted**

Summary: Plagg didn't quite hide quickly enough when Marinette came out of the bathroom.

* * *

"Marinette's important to me and I'll do whatever it takes to make her feel good when she's around," Adrien told Plagg as they hopped out of the elevator looking for said girl.

The black kwami smiled, "Like giving her cheese?"

Adrien answered with a grin, scratching his kwami's belly, "Like cheering her up, making her laugh, doing pranks, like you always do for me."

"I'm super cool. I'm super cool," Marinette repeated to herself, heading back to where she left Adrien.

"Watch this, Plagg," Adrien whispered as he struck a pose.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked from Adrien's shoulder.

"Shhh," he hushed the kwami, "I can't let her think it's the real me."

Marinette walked towards them, still unaware of their presence. Looking up, she suddenly let out a scream and jumped back. After the small fright, she let out a breath. "It's only his statue."

Her gaze flicked up to a black blur that had been floating by his right shoulder, only for it to disappear. Oops. Maybe he hadn't been seen.

"Plagg? Plagg, was that you?" she called, stepping closer, not noticing the statue's slightly widened eyes.

Behind Adrien's back, Plagg debated on how much Tikki would kill him if he revealed himself. To be fair though, the game was already half up the second Marinette called out his name. Showing himself would only, shall we say, help it along. So wiping the devious grin off his face, he poked his head out from behind the Adrien 'statue'.

Marinette's eyes widened. "What do you think you're doing here?" she hissed, closing the distance between them. "Where's Cat Noir? Why aren't you with him?"

Plagg floated out from behind his chosen, leaning back in the air and idly waving a paw. "Oh, I'm sure he's around here _somewhere_." He had to resist glancing back at Adrien. He just hoped she didn't give herself away too quickly. It would be much more fun that way. "But whatever. I'm sure he's fine. What're you doing here, pigtails?"

"Me? Uh, well…" she tented her fingers, staring at the ground. "I'm here with some friends."

Plagg made a show of looking around. "Funny, they don't seem to be around at the moment."

"They're around. Well, sort of. Alya and Nino are taking care of Manon so I could be alone with Adrien."

"Doesn't sound like that turned out very well. Unless you meant the statue," Plagg smirked at Adrien, catching the glare sent his way. It was gone a second later as Adrien re-schooled his features just in time for Marinette to look back at him.

A heavy sigh left the girl's lips, hugging an arm to herself. "That's because I freaked out. _Again_! I can't spend two seconds around him without all the wrong words spilling out!" A determined glint shone in her eye and she clenched her fists by her sides. "But today that's going to change. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna tell him."

Plagg smirked. This was just getting better and better. "And what's that, kitten? Are you going to confess your undying love of cheese?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No." Something softer settled upon her and she looked past him to the Adrien 'statue'. Stepping closer, she tilted her head to look into Adrien's eyes. "I'm finally going to tell him that I love him. That I love when he smiles. And not one of those fake ones for the pictures but when he truly smiles because something made him happy, and how I love it even more when he laughs. I want to tell him that he stole my heart away the day he gave me his umbrella and how he keeps stealing it away again every time I see him because he's just so kind and compassionate. I want to be there for him when he's feeling down and comfort him whenever his dad shuts him out." She stood on her toes, bringing her face close to him, as she cradled his cheek in her hand, "To tell him that my only wish is that he would return even the smallest amount of affection that I have for him."

Plagg had to bite his lip to keep from bursting into laughter. This was too perfect! He seriously couldn't have planned it better if he'd tried! At least all the boy's stupid posing has come in handy for something.

Sighing, Marinette pulled back. Turning away, she hugged herself. "But how am I supposed to say all that when I know my heart will want to leap out of my chest and my tongue will get so tied up in my mouth. Facing akuma's is easier than this…"

Adrien's face shifted the instant she'd turned around. He stared at her back, his gaze a mix of surprise and awe. His stance relaxed and his arms snaked around Marinette's waist. He practically purred in reverence, " _Marinette…_ "

The girl herself squeaked and before anyone could blink, she'd thrown him over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Her anger morphed into recognition then into fear. "Oh my gosh, Adrien! _I'm so sorry!_ "

He coughed as he tried to catch his breath. "It's okay," he wheezed. "It was my fault for scaring you."

This time Plagg couldn't hold it in. His cackling laughter echoed through the museum. Two pair's eyes whipped around to him, Marinette in shock and fear, and Adrien in annoyance. "This is the most fun I've had in centuries!" he howled, clutching at his stomach.

Marinette reacted first. She snatched him out of the air, cutting his laughter short, and hiding him from view against her chest. She laughed nervously, "Haha, fancy that, it's uh, my friend's rare hairless flying cat from Achu. They have such strange vocalisations. Almost sounds like words sometimes! Or laughter! I, heh heh, wonder what he's doing here. I'd better go look for him!"

While she rambled, Adrien picked himself off the floor. He grinned at the bluenette and grabbed her hands before she could run off. "Marinette."

She sucked in a breath, eyes wide.

"You don't have to do that."

"I- I don't?" she squeaked.

"No," he smirked. "I do have one question though. How do you know my kwami?"

Her jaw dropped. "Your… Wha-?"

She stepped back, pulling her hands away and letting Plagg slip through her fingers. The kwami eagerly zipped over to hover by his chosen's shoulder and watched the drama unfold. Marinette gripped her hair, a haunted look in her eyes as she took in this new revelation. Her gaze slipped past them to where the Adrien 'statue' once stood. Her eyes widened and she glanced back at him then back at the spot. A dying keen left her as she turned away. "This can't be happening. This cannot be happening!"

"Marinette?" Adrien called softly, his hand hovering half outstretched towards her, uncertain as to whether he should intervene or not. The last time he touched her he ended up on the floor after all.

She sat down, covering her face with her hands.

Adrien joined her, keeping a little distance between so as not to crowd her. "Marinette, I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a joke to make you feel better and not be so awkward around me." He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, "but like _always_ does, something went wrong." He glanced back at her. "Please don't hate me. I'd do anything to have you not hate me. We can pretend this never happened."

The bluenette peeked over her fingers. "You thought I hated you?"

"Well," he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, "You were always so nervous around me, and then Nino was being really confusing when I asked him about it, so… I don't know." He glanced back at her, the tiniest of smirks peeking through his expression, "But I guess I now have the answer for that."

"Oh my gosh!" she groaned, hiding her face again.

"No! Wait! Please don't be embarrassed. I- I'm flattered. _Really._ No one's ever said things like that to me before. I mean, sometimes my fans say that they love me, but they don't really mean it. None of them care about what I think. Not like you. It, well…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "it made me realise how much you mean to me too…"

Marinette slowly lowered her hands, glancing at him and seeing his earnest expression before turning her gaze to the floor. "I… that wasn't the way I wanted to confess my feelings to you, but I meant every word of it."

Fiddling with his fingers, Adrien glanced at Marinette. Plagg could see the conflict on his face and could take a good guess as to what it was about. The stupid boy was trying to figure out what to say so as not to hurt her and yet not give up his love for Ladybug. The black kwami knew he was going to have to intervene again if these two had any hope of getting together.

"Marinette…" the blond spoke, earning her attention. "I-"

"Don't you have something else to say, pigtails?" prompted Plagg.

Fear flashed through her eyes, just as her face flushed. "Uh, well, um…"

The sound of someone entering the room startled both teens. Their attention whipped towards the disturbance and they both jumped from their seats. "Hawk Moth!"

Adrien grabbed the umbrella from the figure of Aurora. He blocked Hawk Moth's cane, protecting Marinette. "Run!"

Her eyes darted from 'Hawk Moth' to Adrien.

"Well, you'd better do something, kitten," Plagg whispered, having tucked himself in the back of Adrian's shirt collar.

The familiar look of determination crossed her face as she put aside her thoughts and feelings and prepared to do what needed to be done. Leaning closer to Adrien, she whispered in his ear. "I'll be right back, Kitty."

The boy gasped, only stopped from completely dissolving as the wax Hawk Moth statue broke free of his hold and attacked. He kept it at bay until it disarmed him. Thankfully Ladybug rescued him before he could he harmed. He couldn't help but give her a dopey grin after she set him down, revelling in the pink tinge to her cheeks as she leapt away to take on Hawk Moth.

"Do you plan on helping her this century?" grumbled Plagg, jolting him from his reverie.

He ran for the elevator, staring at her even as the door closed. "I love that girl…"

* * *

Later that afternoon, with the Akuma defeated, the Gorilla dropped his friends at their destinations. Alya and Nino had been left by her apartment, and Marinette had just said goodbye to Manon and Mrs Chamuck. Adrien held the door open with a grin as Marinette slid back into the car.

Silence hung between them as they drove off, neither one quite sure where to start. Once again, Plagg took it upon himself to initiate the talk.

"Are you two just going to sit here or would you like me to tell you about the history of cheese?"

Adrien's eyes widened in fear. "No! No, it's alright!"

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded, poking her head out of her chosen's bag to glare at him. "Don't threaten them. You're scaring the poor boy."

"Aww, he's fine, Sugarcube. Besides, they really ought to sort this out soon, or I'm gonna here his moaning for forever and a day."

"Plagg!" Adrien hissed, shoving the kwami back into his pocket.

"It's the truth!" he shouted back, voice muffled by the shirt.

Marinette giggled, a fresh wave of pink dusting spreading over Adrian's cheeks at the sound. He cleared his throat, searching for the right words. Plagg grinned and poked his head back out. He gave a small rumbling purr to help out his chosen, and immediately felt him relax.

Looking over at Marinette, the blond channelled his inner Cat Noir. "My Lady," he purred reverently, earning a squeak and a bright blush on the bluenette. "We didn't get to finish our conversation, you know, the one about you being in love with me~"

If it was even possible, her blush deepened. "Uh, y- yes, well, um…" Pausing, she took a breath, gaining strength from her own kwami's presence. "It's true." She turned to him. "I love you, Adrien. I've been in love with you for a while now..."

"Then it's fortunate that I love you too, Marinette. I've also been in love with you for a while now."

"Gee great start, Casanova," muttered Plagg.

Adrien shot him a glare before focusing back on Marinette, "I'm sorry for being so oblivious to your feelings… I feel like an idiot for not seeing it earlier."

"I'm sorry for pushing you away and keeping you at arms length," she returned, fiddling with her purse strap.

He chuckled. "I guess we were both a bit blinded by our love for each other."

Giggling, she agreed, "I suppose we were."

"Do you…" Adrien swallowed, "do you think we could get it right this time? To finally be on the same plain…"

Plagg could practically feel his chosen's fear. Silly boy. Did he really think he would be rejected? Yet again, he needed Plagg's help. "Just say yes, be his girlfriend and go out already! Sheesh! Where's my cheese?"

"Plagg!"

"Yes."

Adrien's head whipped around to Marinette. She smiled brightly back at him, giggling at his wide eyes.

"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," she laughed.

A bright dopey grin stretched across his face at the news. It almost made Plagg gag. Almost.

"Well don't just sit there," he snapped. "Kiss her!"

Both teens blushed, earning an eye roll from the black kwami. What did it take to get these idiots together?

"It's about time you two remembered one for once," grinned Tikki.

"Um, so, may I, my Lady?" Adrien asked, leaning closer.

Marinette leaned closer too so that they were practically nose to nose. "Yes, Kitty, you may."

Plagg covered his eyes with his paws already having had his fill of all that icky gross lovey-dovey stuff. However, tiny high pitched giggle made him peek and he saw Tikki watching with such a bright smile. He grinned back before poking his tongue out at her. She giggled again and by now Adrien and Marinette had pulled out of their kiss, both looking like the lovesick fools that they were.

"You're welcome," Plagg interrupted smugly. "Now you both owe me ten rounds of camembert which you can give me when you go on your date tomorrow. See you then, Pigtails! Don't forget to bring snacks for me and Tikki!" He ducked back into Adrien's pocket.

"Plagg! Why you-"

"We're nearly at my place," Marinette interrupted her new boyfriend's outburst.

Adrien refocused on her, still a little tentative even after their first kiss. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

She smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"I'll pick you up after five for our date?"

"Yep, I'll be waiting."

A Cat Noir smirk pulled at his lips, "Another kiss for the road."

She rolled her eyes, "Only for you, Kitty."

They shared another kiss before the car rolled to a stop and Marinette hopped out. After a round of goodbyes and more promises of seeing each other tomorrow, Marinette was left outside her parents' bakery and the Gorilla took Adrien home. Plagg settled in for the short trip, pleased with his efforts that day.

At Adrien's lovesick sigh, he smirked. After so long hearing the longing in that sigh, he was glad it was finally happy. The kid deserved some good in his life.

* * *

 _Epilogue_

In the confines of Marinette's purse, hidden well under the couple's secluded table in the homey restaurant, Plagg and Tikki shared a meal of their own.

"Did you get spotted on purpose?"

Plagg grinned, taking a huge bite from his camembert. "Of course not. But I can't help it if my bad luck did a little good for once."

Tikki giggled, cookie in her paws. "We're lucky it turned out so well, Stinkysock."

"And now we get to hang out more, Sugarcube." He leaned closer wiggling his eyebrows, "Won't that be nice."

She rolled her eyes fondly, pushing him away, "Only as long as you keep your cheese breath away from me."

"You love it."

"I love _you_."

"Same difference."

Tikki didn't reply except to kiss his cheek. Yep, Plagg could definitely say things were looking up.

* * *

Extra Cheesecake, just because. ;P And I hope you enjoyed this shot as much as I did! Had good fun laughing over some bits, especially Marinette tossing Adrien over her shoulder.

The three parter I mentioned last time is still coming. I'm on the third part and the whole thing is currently over 20,000 words, so a bit longer than I expected. Not sure if I'll need another part to wrap things up, or just make the last part longer than the others.

Unfortunately, it means I have no idea when it might come out, sorry. It doesn't help that I've started working on another Miraculous Ladybug story, this time a full one, and it's taking up my attention. If you guys really want, I can post the first scene here. Fair warning, it's super angsty compared to most of the stuff I write, especially without context. I'm hoping once they story gets rolling it won't be so bad. I probably won't post the story until it's finished though because I like going back and being able to change things if something comes up further down the track as I get into the story.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


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